News - Announcements

October 2009

Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine: 10 years on
The Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI) and the Slovenian authorities, under the Slovenian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, are organising a conference on the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (also known as the Oviedo Convention), on 3 November in Strasbourg. The aim of the conference is to consider the impact of the convention, its topicality and the timelessness of its principles.

Korea: No Jail Time for Hwang (26.10.2009)
After a three-year trial, Hwang Woo-Suk, the South Korean stem cell researcher accused of criminal fraud and embezzlement in May, 2006, was convicted today (October 26) of embezzling 830 million won ($705,000) in research funds -- money he had won based on two Science papers based on fabricated data -- and of illegally buying human eggs for his research. He will not, however, serve any time behind bars.

Nuffield Council on Bioethics: New ethics study on biofuels (22.10.2009)
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has launched an inquiry into the ethical and social questions raised by new approaches to biofuels.

Doctor who treated octuplets mom ejected from Society of Reproductive Medicine (22.10.2009)
The Beverly Hills fertility doctor who treated octuplets mom Nadya Suleman has been expelled from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine for a "pattern of behavior" detrimental to the industry, a spokesman for the association confirmed Monday.

Les Espagnols et la liberalisation de l'avortement (6.10.2009)
Alors qu'il y a un an, 57% des Espagnols soutenaient la réforme de la loi sur l'avortement (cf. Synthese de presse du 28/09/09) - contre 30% qui se déclaraient contre - 46% seraient aujourd'hui opposés à la libéralisation de l'avortement contre 44% qui y seraient favorables.

UK: GMC issues new guidance on genetic disease confidentiality (5.10.2009)
New guidelines issued by the UK General Medical Council (GMC) will allow doctors to disclose genetic information to relatives - even when patients object, if there are compelling medical reasons for doing so.

Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Dementia-Ethical Issues (1.10.2009)
More than 700,000 people in the UK currently suffer from dementia, and nearly 500,000 friends and family members act as carers for people with dementia...

UK: Doctors 'forced' to allow suicide (1.10.2009)
Doctors were forced to allow a suicidal woman who had swallowed anti-freeze to die, because she refused medical help.